Barcelona could have two reasons to celebrate individually when they face Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez approaching significant appearance milestones for the Catalan club.
De Jong is poised to make his 300th appearance in a Barcelona shirt, while Fermin is closing in on his 150th game for the first team.
Interestingly, both players are expected to feature prominently in Hansi Flick's plans against Aston Villa, although their individual circumstances and contributions to Barcelona's development have been considerably different.
De Jong approaching 300 Barcelona appearances
Since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2019, De Jong has established himself as one of Barcelona's most experienced first-team players.
His importance has remained relatively consistent despite changes in the dugout, having featured regularly under Ronald Koeman, Xavi Hernandez and now Flick.
Frenkie de Jong will make his 300th Barcelona appearance. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The Dutch international has completed seven seasons at the club and is currently in his eighth campaign.
Furthermore, De Jong also holds a significant place in Barcelona's ...